Hose service life per NFPA standard?

• A. 10 to 15 years
• B. 15 to 30 years
• C. Minimum 10 years; maximum 20 years
• D. Never expires with maintenance

Answer: (C)

Hose service life is limited by aging and wear of the materials. The NFPA standard provides a retirement window to manage that risk: hoses have a minimum service life of about 10 years and should generally be retired or seriously reevaluated no later than 20 years from manufacture, even with routine maintenance. This guideline helps departments plan replacements before material fatigue or degradation can lead to failure during use.

Regular inspections and hydrostatic testing are still essential. If a hose shows signs of damage, hardening, cracking, or any failure during tests, it should be retired sooner rather than later. The other ranges either shorten or extend life beyond what the standard supports, or imply hoses never expire with maintenance, which conflicts with the aging of materials.